Some great topics often get raised in my client discussions, and yesterday was no exception. We were talking about the various styles throughout the ages and how a lot of things get repeated without much change The topic shifted to movies and how special effects, noise and actions have taken precedence, whilst the story no longer matters as much.
I started talking about photography suffering from this too, where these days, everyone is a photographer of some kind, but with the changes in technology, the resolution and detail possible is far higher than it was. This has led many to evaluate the quality of a photo with the image detail, where being able to zoom in and see everything is more important than the story the image is telling.
And then, a great question was raised:
Do you feel more relaxed watching black and white movies?
What a fantastic question and something I hadn't considered!
But, it only took a moment to answer, because with some slight reflection, it was easy to say that black and white films are more relaxing to watch. Diving into this a little, I suspect that it is because of the contrast between light and dark means that the eyes have to do less work to translate what is being seen. I also think that it is because of this that also provides the impact of black and white, where rather than the brain needing to do as much work, it can take in more of the image and have space left over to process it through emotional centers also.
The last point would probably be aided by the various depths of the image, highlighting some parts clearly, whilst leaving other parts shrouded, bringing in mystery and a sense that there is more to know laying in the depths, just out of sight.
Black and white photography conveys more story, because there is less for the audience to process, less information provided, so they have to make some of it up. This sounds like additional work, but it is the kind of process the brain relishes and therefore, it will willingly take the cue and feel relaxed whilst working. For as they say,
do something you love...
When it comes to story, the imagination is our most important tool to translate because it takes what we are fed and turns it into something that is uniquely ours, giving us ownership. When there is too much information given, the story suffers because our brains will spend all the time processing the provided information, leaving no space or time to do anything else.
Most of the action movies these days are like this, where there is constant movement and a visual feast for the eyes, but no space to relax and process the story. It is as if they know that because the story is lacking, they need to cover it up with glitter to make it sparkle like a diamond, even though it is just a plain old rock.
Because of that contrast between light and dark, black and white is also more brutal, because imperfections aren't blended into the color palette, they are highlighted and stand out. Combined with less information leading to more free processing power, it gives space for the viewer to more readily detect and evaluate flaws.
Not having to "work as hard" in regard to the volume of information, actually can trigger the brain to work harder in other areas, more deeply considering what is being consumed, rather than glossing over everything, taking in nothing of value. In this respect, I see it like the speed of information coming in from content platforms today, where volume and speed has replaced quality and depth. A stream of information that makes us feel like we are consuming something of value, whilst it doesn't deliver anything we consider deeply enough to make it truly actionable.
Even though the resolution is so high, we no longer understand what is happening the world, as we are spending our time looking at all the glitter and explosions, without considering the story or how it impacts on us at all.
Are we more relaxed?
Taraz
[ Gen1: Hive ]
These pictures were taken in Barcelona over a decade ago. It was our first trip together as a couple. The entry image with the man walking a French bulldog in the gothic quarter, was printed on canvas and hangs in our bedroom.
